Nebriniel sat crisscrossed on the leather couch with her large HP laptop resting between both knees. The nineteen-year-old let out a loud and long sigh as her cursor clicked on the 'X' in the right hand corner of Skype; only moments ago the screen had displayed the faces of the many beloved employees of her horse farm. It seemed like it had been eons since she had last had an actual face-to-face conversation with them. In all reality, it had only been a few days since she left the airport in Montana, heading out to her brother's home in Washington D.C. Well, Alfred wasn't her biological brother, but that didn't bother her in the least bit; after all, he had no obligation to take her in and care for her after both of her parents met their demise years ago. The woman shook her head as she fought away the memories that tried to force their way into her mind, and in an attempt to put her focus elsewhere, she thought back on when she had finally returned to the house she had grown up in.
The flight from Montana to the country's capital left much to be desired: crying children, loud snorers, and the occasional sounds of defeat from those who had too much to eat at the previous stop. Since she was a member of the United States Air Force, she generally enjoyed flying. Flying alone, that is. Even the famous airplane peanuts didn't seem to improve her mood as she gazed out into the familiar sight of clouds. Luckily, the flight only lasted four hours, if that. As soon as she was able, she jumped up, grabbed her carry-on, and hurried off of the plane to avoid being trampled by the stampede of people who felt they would be left behind if they didn't make it out as soon as the door opened. Once she had gathered all of her items, it was finally time to go find the car that Alfred had left at the airport for her. It took a while, but she finally found the black and red Camaro that her brother had given her when she had officially become a member of the Air Force. Although she loved the car, she knew better than to take it with her when she relocated almost halfway across the country. Alfred knew what he was doing with automobiles. Surprisingly. Soon enough, she was sitting in the driver's seat once more and smiled like a little girl when she heard the engine burst to life. Okay…. Maybe she was kind of into cars, too. She headed straight for Alfred's house after managing to inch her way out of the intimidating parking deck. It wasn't even the parking deck that worried her – It was the people. Finally, she had her chance to get on the road and took it without hesitation. The drive was a bit boring since he had, for some reason, decided to live on the outskirts of the city. Sadly, the monuments no longer caught her attention the same way they did when she was a child. She turned into a small driveway about twenty minutes later, grabbed her things, and opened the front door with the spare key she had owned ever since she had first been granted it at the age of ten. Suddenly, she heard quick footsteps and soon found herself in the embrace of what felt like a warm and cuddly giant.
"Glad you missed me," she managed to say through gasps for air, taken completely off guard by the tight squeeze.
"Of course I missed you! Gosh, it's not like I ever get to see my little Nebbers anymore," Alfred's voice chirped in return as he set her down, confused as to why she had to bend over for a moment and try not to die from lack of air.
Neb finally straightened up to look at him with a smile, but tilted her head when she saw that his usual happy demeanor had been replaced by one of sadness. Almost guilt. "What is it this time?" the woman interrogated, crossing her arms in a way to say that she wasn't in any mood to be toyed with after her very excruciatingly difficult trip.
"Well….. I'm sorry to say this, but I've just been told that I have to attend a conference in the UK and am leaving tomorrow," he replied, and bowed his head low.
"Alfred! I've just got here and now you're telling me to go back? No. Not this time. I'm sorry, but this is the third time this year you've had to cancel plans with me to go to some international conference. I know that it's your job, but I want to spend time with you. Can I maybe come with you? I mean, I'm already packed, and I promise that I'll behave. Alfred, I miss getting to be with you," Neb pleaded and moved over to wrap her arms around him in a hug, looking up at him.
Alfred quickly made the mistake of looking down at her and let out a sigh as her blue eyes somehow managed to pull a heart string. He was silent for a few moments, but her gaze never shifted as her eyes soon threatened to tear up, which finally broke him. "Fine," he murmured and gently laid a hand on her head as he leaned over and pulled her into another hug. A small smile formed on his lips, but on the inside he was truly worried about the outcome of this whole trip. All of the countries would be present at the conference, and he wasn't sure that he'd be able to protect her from the truth.
So, there she sat. Ready to go on her great adventure with Alfred. "London," she thought to herself and smiled a bit as she looked at the now white screen of her computer's internet browser. There just so happened to be an international horse show taking place during the time that they would be there. After consulting Alfred, she had managed to get some of her invited horses onto the roster for the "Breeds of the World" exhibition. Seemed that having a horse addiction actually paid off for once. The fan of her laptop was the only thing that created any noise in the room until loud footsteps were heard coming down the staircase with a heavy, and probably poorly packed, suitcase following. Alfred poked his head around the doorframe, his trademark cowlick bouncing with the motion, and playfully rolled his eyes from behind his thinly rimmed glasses, "Come on, slow poke! Don't make me come pick you up and drag you outside." Nebriniel simply laughed, closed her laptop, and put it away before quickly following after him – the two talking excitedly about their upcoming adventure.